Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Questions about beach cruisers...

So my dad is 6' 7" and weighs about 240lbs. he also has bad knees and huge feet (sz 13 or 14 custom made). i really want to get him a beach cruiser so he can cruise around on the air force base (vandenberg, ca) that he works on. he doesnt own a car (yay dad!) and usually takes the bus to get to the base. is getting a beach cruiser ideal for him? im guessing that they can hold his wieght but toe overlap may be an issue as well as the bad knees part. in what ways can i modify a beach cruiser to fit him properly? maybe i should look into a mountain bike instead? i dont think he'd want a road bike cause hes afraid of the skinny wheels. i figure a beach cruiser would be easier and better for him so he wont have to figure out gearing and what not. advice/suggestions? thanks in advance!

At 6'7" it may be difficult to find a beach cruiser that is tall enough for him. Have you considered a Hybrid or Comfort bike (larger wheels)? Trek makes a 25" model which would be tall enough.

It would be best to ask your LBS if they carry larger cruisers.

If he has bad knees, he needs the multiple gears. Riding in one fixed gear wold not be good. He needs to have the low gears in order to spin ez. Mtn bike is the way man!

Also, I'm not sure about beach cruiser frame material. But if it's a cheap one, I'd be worried about high tensil steel. Brittle and breaks easily. Also handle bar stems are much cheaper than a decent mountain bike. Dangerous and deadly if it breaks on him.

Also beach cruiser use cheap rims and spokes. I'd be willing to bet they break within a month. Go with the mtb.

Am I wrong about beachcruisers? Maybe there are expensive quality models? I haven't payed attention to them in years!

I would'nt have thought of beachcuisers not accomidating your fathers' size, (51) IS correct though, cruisers WON'T do. Just now clicking on a couple sites realy quick, it's apparent that mountain biks offer sizes for him. When you look at the sizes,they seem small,they're not. Once you notice the top-tube lengths it's clear that they're at least long enough in the "cock pit", mountain bikes always have a greater stand-over clearance.In a mountain size,a 23' may work. Besides there are many choices. Mountain bikes have actually not gone-up much in price, really good steel ones with a basic shock,up-front only, are to be had for 300 or less. A so-so cruiser with no gears,less adjustabily costs $200 to $250 or more.

from personal experience mountain bikes with shocks always make it more difficult for me to ride. i'll check em out though. thanks for the info and suggestions!

my dad is in this boat, back in the olden days (o.k., the 80's) he commuted on a steel Ross road bike. now he has a bad back, and heart issues, so he's taken up biking again to help with health. he kinda needed a beach cruiser but thought they all looked dumb. he was thinking of a hybrid, but found a specialized hardrock cromoly rigid circa ~1996 for $5 at a garage sale. it's a little more forward geometry than he wanted, so he got some tall L-shaped bar ends and pointed them straight up for a very upright position when he wants it. many many rides have gone by and it still works great.

I think with him being that tall he should look at a mountain bike with 29" wheels. It will give him a better standover height then a 26" and the extra gearing will be better then a fixie for his knees.

Most beach cruisers tend to come in a one-size-fits-all size that will not work for a very tall person. And department stores tend to sell smallish sizes at that. Back when I was shopping for one, I ran across the Caloi Pan Am Cruiser, which is available with a larger steel frame:
http://www.islandsportshop.com/Caloi%20Bicycles.htm (and scroll down to it). I haven't used this bike or even seen one, just seen the web page.

A typical "beach cruiser" does not have fenders, while older "cruisers" did- something to watch for.

Flat land with a single speed is no problem unless you live where it's windy. Then you may get a workout.